Readers in Action: Huntington's

Author Lisa Genova's TED Talk: What You Can Do To Prevent Alzheimer's

Alzheimer's doesn't have to be your brain's destiny, says neuroscientist and author of "Still Alice," Lisa Genova. She shares the latest science investigating the disease — and some promising research on what each of us can do to build an Alzheimer's-resistant brain.

Julianne Moore Winning Best Actress for her performance in 'Still Alice'

Matthew McConaughey presenting Julianne Moore with the Oscar® for Best Actress for her performance in "Still Alice" at the 87th Oscars® in 2015.

Author Lisa Genova on 'Still Alice' becoming a Movie

Bestselling author Lisa Genova reflects on her first novel Still Alice becoming a major motion picture starring Julianne Moore, Alec Baldwin, and Kristen Stewart. Still Alice is the story of an accomplished Harvard professor who is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, and it changes her life—and her relationship with her family and the world—forever.

Books by Lisa Genova

Inside the O'Briens

Joe O’Brien is a forty-four-year-old police officer from the Irish Catholic neighborhood of Charlestown, Massachusetts. A devoted husband, proud father of four children in their twenties, and respected officer, Joe begins experiencing bouts of disorganized thinking, uncharacteristic temper outbursts, and strange, involuntary movements. He initially attributes these episodes to the stress of his job, but as these symptoms worsen, he agrees to see a neurologist and is handed a diagnosis that will change his and his family’s lives forever: Huntington’s Disease.

Still Alice

Alice Howland is proud of the life she has worked so hard to build. A Harvard professor, she has a successful husband and three grown children. When Alice begins to grow forgetful at first she just dismisses it, but when she gets lost in her own neighborhood she realizes that something is terribly wrong. Alice finds herself in the rapid downward spiral of Alzheimer’s disease. She is only 50 years old.

Left Neglected

Sarah Nickerson is like any other career-driven supermom in Welmont, the affluent Boston suburb where she leads a hectic but charmed life with her husband Bob, faithful nanny, and three children—Lucy, Charlie, and nine-month-old Linus.

Sarah miraculously manages every minute of her life like an air traffic controller. Until one fateful day, while driving to work and trying to make a phone call, she looks away from the road for one second too long. In the blink of an eye, all the rapidly moving parts of her jam-packed life come to a screeching halt.

Love Anthony

"I’m always hearing about how my brain doesn’t work right…But it doesn’t feel broken to me."

In an insightful, deeply human story reminiscent of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Daniel Isn’t Talking, and The Reason I Jump, New York Times bestselling author and neuroscientist Lisa Genova offers a unique perspective in fiction—the extraordinary voice of Anthony, a nonverbal boy with autism. Anthony reveals a neurologically plausible peek inside the mind of autism, why he hates pronouns, why he loves swinging and the number three, how he experiences routine, joy, and love. And it is the voice of this voiceless boy that guides two women in this powerfully unforgettable story to discover the universal truths that connect us all.

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‘Still Alice’ Movie News

The Academy Award winning film Still Alice from Sony Pictures Classics, starring Julianne Moore, Kristen Stewart, Alec Baldwin, Kate Bosworth and Hunter Parrish is now available on DVD.
>>Read more about the movie

Praise for Inside the O’Briens

"This heartbreaking book tells the whole story of how a major illness affects a family. Genova’s gift is to show that things do work out, in a sense. Her very human novel teaches us to keep living, to lean on each other and be there to be leaned on.”

–Matthew Thomas, author of WE ARE NOT OURSELVES

"Lisa Genova’s deep empathy for her characters shines through this poignant and uplifting story about family, grief and the resilience of the human spirit. Kudos to this amazing writer for showing us—once again—the transformative powers of even the most devastating events. Do not miss this fabulous novel."

--Barbara Shapiro, author of THE MURALIST and THE ART FORGER

"For the characters in a Lisa Genova novel, there is no way out, for genetic destiny has sealed their fate. And yet, for us as readers, there also is no way out, for we have no desire to look away. In his fear and courage, Joe O’Brien is an American hero. Huntington’s disease will claim his life, but not his capacity to love. This is Genova’s genius. A bold, skillful writer at the height of her narrative powers, she makes us long to hope for the hopeless and comfort the condemned. In their hard journeys, we find the small shining promise of every single ordinary day."

- Jacquelyn Mitchard, author THE DEEP END OF THE OCEAN and TWO IF BY SEA

"Lisa Genova’s subtle, finely tuned prose gains momentum until you don’t know whether to laugh, cry, or give thanks. Like all of her work, Inside the O’Briens is brimming with candor, pathos, and deeply human characters. I didn't want the book to end!"

- Vanessa Diffenbaugh, author of THE LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS and WE NEVER ASKED FOR WINGS